1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automatic toilet flushing systems and, more particularly, to an automatic actuator having a clutch assembly for flushing toilets, such as home toilets or other toilets found in private dwellings or facilities.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many commercially available automatic toilet flushing systems for use in various commercial and industrial establishments. Also, automatic toilet flushing systems for use in conventional home toilets or other toilets found in private dwellings have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,141,091 to Pulvari; 5,003,643 to Chung; and 6,202,227 to Gurowitz. These prior art automatic flushing systems for conventional toilet flushing systems are desirable for a variety of reasons, for example, sanitary considerations by one not having to touch a handle used by others. Also, people suffering from temporary or permanent disabilities may find it difficult to access a toilet flush handle, which is usually located rearwardly of the toilet seat. In other cases, forgetfulness or non-attentiveness of individuals may prevent them from manually flushing the toilet. In these and other situations, an automatic toilet flushing system for private dwelling structures may provide a significant advantage.
In the prior art automatic toilet flushing systems, converting a conventional toilet to one capable of automatic flushing after use can oftentimes be difficult and relatively expensive, such as requiring new or substituted toilet fixtures. Automatic flushing systems include an automatic actuator that is coupled with a flapper valve to release water from the reservoir tank upon receipt of a flushing signal. Occasionally, these flapper valves can get caught on something and fail to open, causing the application of excessive torque to the actuator motor. This can result in the motor becoming overheated. Therefore, there is a need to provide an automatic toilet flushing system that is easy to install on conventional toilets while using the existing toilet fixtures, including the existing toilet components, for example, the toilet bowl and reservoir tank for holding water that may constitute a conventional or standard toilet. There is a further need to provide a device capable of avoiding the application of this excessive torque to the actuator motor.